what do i do!?

[Sypher]

i have no linux and am a n00b. if u have any info then reply. i need to download linux and get familier with it. If u could help me in explaining what i need to download and where then respond please. thanks :)

[danrees]

1) Get a book. Running Linux (O'Reilly) is highly recommended.
2) Read the book, at least the introduction, installation and basic commands sections.
3) Read the installation HOWTO (http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/Installation-HOWTO.html), Windows to Linux HOWTO (http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/DOS-Win-to-Linux-HOWTO.html), Linux + Windows HOWTO (http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/html_single/Linux+Windows-HOWTO.html) and Linux NHFs (http://www.linuxnewbie.org)
4) Choose a distribution from http://linux.com/learn/getlinux/
5) Either download a distribution iso from http://www.linuxiso.org, to burn to CD, download from files from a mirror site (http://www2.linuxjournal.com/about_linux/distributions.html), or buy a distribution from http://www.linuxcentral.com (or http://www.linuxemporium.co.uk in the UK).

If you want manuals and support, go for a boxed distribution. Otherwise either download a distribution or buy cheap download CDs.

As for distributions - Mandrake (http://www.mandrakesoft.com) is very newbie-friendly, but any of the major distributions will be fine (Redhat (http://www.redhat.com), SuSE (http://www.suse.com), Slackware (http://www.slackware.com)). Debian (http://www.debian.org) might present you with some problems in installing, but is apparently worth the hassle. Avoid Corel Linux like the plague.

[ 05 August 2001: Message edited by: danrees ]

[scott_R]

Always nice to get confirmation on things like this, so here's my 2 cents. Mandrake, I have to agree, is the best, especially if you have no previous linux/unix experience, and are moving from a windows system. SuSE is great if you don't mind that your most helpful texts are in german, and that they set things up more for a server than a user. Corel is dead, as the company is trying to sell their linux business. Debian is great, if you can get the newest version on cd, and have already learned at least the basics of linux. Redhat is also a fairly user-friendly system, but if you're going to try it, I'd take mandrake first, as they were started from the same base system. (At one time, mandrake was simply redhat with a couple extra features, but now they are their own distro now, and a very good one.) Slackware is probably pretty good, as I haven't tried it, but as I understand it, it requires a little extra effort and knowledge. Caldera is good if you're going to use it in a business sense, otherwise I'd avoid it, as they keep finding reasons to tack on fees, and thier "free support" sucks.
In other words, try mandrake. It may not be perfect, but for your average workstation, it is the cheapest, best linux available for newbies. After that, read a lot about linux, and give debian or slackware a try. Good luck.

For a little background, I started with redhat, loved it (6.2), then they started charging for updates, and a few other dumb things, so I tried caldera, and they simply pissed me off by not answering my email support questions while sending me offers for $1200 a year support offers. I then used mandrake 7.1, and loved it. I heard SuSE was the best, so I tried SuSE 7.1, and it was so hacked together that it's a pain to use. I tried debian afterwards, but it's hard to find an up-to-date version, so I settled for a bug-filled 2.2.18 version out of the GNU/Linux debian bible, which didn't even match the modules to the kernel version.

Regardless, I love linux, and open source, and think it's the future. So don't be afraid to try it, and if it doesn't fit, try again in a few months. Two years ago, the GUI was a new thing. Imagine what will be there before the end of the year.

:)

[kuber]

What I did (and would highly recommend) is start out with either Mandrake or Redhat. Play with it for a few months. Come to this board often to ask qs (but do a google search first) and to read other peoples problems and solutions. Then move on to slackware. You will learn a lot, but will have enough general linux knowledge to figure it out.

I don't think you need to buy a book. There is LOADS of documentation on the net as well as this board.

[scott_R]

I have to agree with kuber with one qualification. Sometimes a book can be more helpful, especially if it contains the most recent version of your choice system (called a gpl'd version, it is the free version of the distrobution, and the same you would be able to download).

On the other hand, there's nothing like a full version with manuals, which mandrake does extremely well.

LOL, maybe I should get a marketing job with mandrake... :)

[Molecule Man]

If your 'net connection does not lend itself to downloading very large *.iso files (approximately 650MB), and you find yourself unable or unwilling to buy a distro, try one of the Micro distros:
Vector Linux (http://www.ibiblio.org/vectorlinux) or Peanut Linux (http://www.ibiblio.org/peanut). Both are loosely based off of Slackware, and the packages for one are pretty interchangeable with the other. At about 50MB, you should be able to download it over night on a dialup line.

[Sypher]

i just dl'ed redhat but i dont know how to instal it could yall give me some tips or a walkthrough?

[venus86]

thanks guys for a nice read and good information. i just installed red hat yesterday with no problems, and i'm happy with it. now i'm working through the manual (book form, my preference) and am having a blast.

[saeed_contractor]

Originally posted by Sypher:
<STRONG>i just dl'ed redhat but i dont know how to instal it could yall give me some tips or a walkthrough?</STRONG>

How did you download it? When I downloaded Rh 7.1 I used a win machine and got two .iso files. Once you have the 2 files click on them and they opened easy cd creater which allowed me to make 2 cd's one from each file. The first cd was bootable so I was on my way.

hope this helps :)